THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 3, 1994 TAG: 9411020128
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: CLOSE-UP
SOURCE: VICKI LEWIS
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Lucy R. Wilson is the associate vice president for student services at Old Dominion University, a job she has held for eight years. In her 20 years with ODU, she also has served as associate vice president for academic affairs and associate dean of the College of Education.
Wilson served as a member of the Norfolk School Board for 12 years, and for four of those she was chairman, retiring from the board in July of this year.
``If you do well at whatever you're doing, you're going to advance naturally,'' Wilson said. ``Just about everything I have done has followed one position or another.''
She met her husband, Harrison B. Wilson, president of Norfolk State University, at Indiana University when they were students there.
Name: Lucy Reed Wilson.
Nickname: None.
What brought you to Norfolk: My husband's job.
Birthplace: Hartsville, S.C.
Birthdate: Sept. 23, 1930.
Occupation: educator/associate vice president for student services at Old Dominion University.
Marital status: Married.
Children: Six - Benjamin, Harrison, John, Richard, Jennifer and April.
Last Book Read: ``Rage of a Privileged Class'' by Ellis Cose.
Favorite magazine: Reader's Digest.
If you could trade places for just one day with anyone in the world, who would it be and why? No one. I like being who I am.
Biggest accomplishment: Raising six successful children (two lawyers, a systems engineer, a teacher, a graphics designer and a TV reporter/associate producer.)
Most embarrassing moment: I was sitting at a lunch counter having cookies and milk when the person next to me took one of my cookies. Not wanting to start an altercation, I said nothing. But then each time I took a cookie, he took one. Finally, when we were down to our last cookie, he took half of it and left the other half for me, paid his bill and left. Later, when I attempted to pay my bill, I looked in my purse and there were my cookies.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would be more energetic. I used to have invincible determination, a purpose that once formed nothing could take away. I am mellowing in my old age - perhaps a bit too much.
Perfect way to spend the day: Alone with my husband - unkempt, uncombed and undisturbed.
Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere a cruise line takes you.
Pet peeve: To be visited by unannounced guests.
First job: Shampoo girl in a beauty parlor. It helped, because I learned to fix hair and helped pay my way through college.
Worst job: Ironing shirts in a laundry.
Hobbies: Bridge and slot machines.
Favorite restaurant: Le Chambord.
What do you like most about Norfolk? The friendliness of the people and the limitless opportunities for education, socializing and community involvement.
What do you like least about Norfolk? Its reputation. I think that Norfolk is much better than it's reputed to be. We have much crime and violence, but that doesn't define who we are. Think of the opera, the water, the symphony, the museum, the zoo, Waterside - all the wonderful things we have to offer, and yet we have to endure such a terrible reputation. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN
Lucy R. Wilson, sitting in her Webb Center office on the ODU campus,
holds a rabbit named ``Bunny'' that her daughter gave her.
KEYWORDS: PROFILE BIOGRAPHY by CNB